Psittacosis and arthritis

Recent findings justify the opinion that Chlamydia psittaci is the reappearance of a forgotten pathogen. The clinical manifestation and the course of psittacosis are extremely variable, whereas the clinical spectrum of the infection with the different strains of C. psittaci is not known. Reactive arthritis during the course of psittacosis has been rarely described in humans. However, it has been stated that C. psittaci could be added to the list of infectious agents able to induce reactive arthritis. We describe a patient who presented with clinical signs consistent with reactive arthritis during the course of psittacosis, and we emphasize the good therapeutical results with ceftriaxone in the treatment of psittacosis.